the life of thomas telford-第4章

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　　　　Then　long　be　the　journey；　and　narrow　the　way；

　　　　I'll　rejoice　that　I've　seldom　a　turnpike　to　pay；

　　　　And　whate'er　others　say；　be　the　last　to　complain；

　　　　Though　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



*＇4＇　Iter　Sussexiense。'　By　Dr。　John　Burton。





CHAPTER　II。



EARLY　MODES　OF　CONVEYANCE。



Such　being　the　ancient　state　of　the　roads；　the　only　practicable

modes　of　travelling　were　on　foot　and　on　horseback。　　The　poor　walked

and　the　rich　rode。　　Kings　rode　and　Queens　rode。　　Judges　rode　circuit

in　jack…boots。　　Gentlemen　rode　and　robbers　rode。　　The　Bar　sometimes

walked　and　sometimes　rode。　　Chaucer's　ride　to　Canterbury　will　be

remembered　as　long　as　the　English　language　lasts。　　Hooker　rode　to

London　on　a　hard…paced　nag；　that　he　might　be　in　time　to　preach　his

first　sermon　at　St。　Paul's。　　Ladies　rode　on　pillions；　holding　on　by

the　gentleman　or　the　serving…man　mounted　before。



Shakespeare　incidentally　describes　the　ancient　style　of　travelling

among　the　humbler　classes　in　his　'Henry　IV。'*＇1＇



The　Party；　afterwards　set　upon　by　Falstaff　and　his　companions；

bound　from　Rochester　to　London；　were　up　by　two　in　the　morning；

expecting　to　perform　the　journey　of　thirty　miles　by　close　of　day；

and　to　get　to　town　〃in　time　to　go　to　bed　with　a　candle。〃　　Two　are

carriers；　one　of　whom　has　〃a　gammon　of　bacon　and　two　razes　of

ginger；　to　be　delivered　as　far　as　Charing　Cross；〃　the　other　has　his

panniers　full　of　turkeys。　　There　is　also　a　franklin　of　Kent；

and　another；　〃a　kind　of　auditor；〃　probably　a　tax…collector；

with　several　more；　forming　in　all　a　company　of　eight　or　ten；　who

travel　together　for　mutual　protection。　　Their　robbery　on　Gad's　Hill；

as　painted　by　Shakespeare；　is　but　a　picture；　by　no　means　exaggerated；

of　the　adventures　and　dangers　of　the　road　at　the　time　of　which　he

wrote。



Distinguished　personages　sometimes　rode　in　horse…litters；　but

riding　on　horseback　was　generally　preferred。　　Queen　Elizabeth　made

most　of　her　journeys　in　this　way；*＇2＇　and　when　she　went　into　the

City　she　rode　on　a　pillion　behind　her　Lord　Chancellor。　　The　Queen；

however；　was　at　length　provided　with　a　coach；　which　must　have　been

a　very　remarkable　machine。　　This　royal　vehicle　is　said　to　have　been

one　of　the　first　coaches　used　in　England；　and　it　was　introduced　by

the　Queen's　own　coachman；　one　Boomen；　a　Dutchman。　　It　was　little

better　than　a　cart　without　springs；　the　body　resting　solid　upon　the

axles。　　Taking　the　bad　roads　and　ill…paved　streets　into　account；

it　must　have　been　an　excessively　painful　means　of　conveyance。

At　one　of　the　first　audiences　which　the　Queen　gave　to　the　French

ambassador　in　1568；　she　feelingly　described　to　him　〃the　aching

pains　she　was　suffering　in　consequence　of　having　been　knocked　about

in　a　coach　which　had　been　driven　a　little　too　fast；　only　a　few　days

before。〃*＇3＇



Such　coaches　were　at　first　only　used　on　state　occasions。

The　roads；　even　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　London；　were　so

bad　and　so　narrow　that　the　vehicles　could　not　be　taken　into　the

country。　But；　as　the　roads　became　improved；　the　fashion　of　using

them　spread。　　When　the　aristocracy　removed　from　the　City　to　the

western　parts　of　the　metropolis；　they　could　be　better　accommodated；

and　in　course　of　time　they　became　gradually　adopted。　　They　were

still；　however；　neither　more　nor　less　than　waggons；　and；　indeed；

were　called　by　that　name；　but　wherever　they　went　they　excited　great

wonder。　　It　is　related　of　〃that　valyant　knyght　Sir　Harry　Sidney；〃

that　on　a　certain　day　in　the　year　1583　he　entered　Shrewsbury　in　his

waggon；　〃with　his　Trompeter　blowynge；　verey　joyfull　to　behold　and

see。〃*＇4＇



From　this　time　the　use　of　coaches　gradually　spread；　more

particularly　amongst　the　nobility；　superseding　the　horse…litters

which　had　till　then　been　used　for　the　conveyance　of　ladies　and

others　unable　to　bear　the　fatigue　of　riding　on　horseback。

The　first　carriages　were　heavy　and　lumbering：　and　upon　the　execrable

roads　of　the　time　they　went　pitching　over　the　stones　and　into　the

ruts；　with　the　pole　dipping　and　rising　like　a　ship　in　a　rolling　sea。

That　they　had　no　springs；　is　clear　enough　from　the　statement　of

Taylor；　the　water…poetwho　deplored　the　introduction　of　carriages

as　a　national　calamitythat　in　the　paved　streets　of　London　men　and

women　were　〃tossed；　tumbled；　rumbled；　and　jumbled　about　in　them。〃

Although　the　road　from　London　to　Dover；　along　the　old　Roman

Watling…street；　was　then　one　of　the　best　in　England；　the　French

household　of　Queen　Henrietta；　when　they　were　sent　forth　from

the　palace　of　Charles　I。；　occupied　four　tedious　days　before　they

reached　Dover。



But　it　was　only　a　few　of　the　main　roads　leading　from　the　metropolis

that　were　practicable　for　coaches；　and　on　the　occasion　of　a　royal

progress；　or　the　visit　of　a　lord…lieutenant；　there　was　a　general

turn　out　of　labourers　and　masons　to　mend　the　ways　and　render　the

bridges　at　least　temporarily　secure。　　Of　one　of　Queen　Elizabeth's

journeys　it　is　said：　〃It　was　marvellous　for　ease　and　expedition；

for　such　is　the　perfect　evenness　of　the　new　highway　that　Her

Majesty　left　the　coach　only　once；　while　the　hinds　and　the　folk　of　a

base　sort　lifted　it　on　with　their　poles。〃



Sussex　long　continued　impracticable　for　coach　travelling　at　certain

seasons。　　As　late　as　1708；　Prince　George　of　Denmark　had　the

greatest　difficulty　in　making　his　way　to　Petworth　to　meet　Charles　VI。

of　Spain。　〃The　last　nine　miles　of　the　way；〃　says　the　reporter；

〃cost　us　six　hours　to　conquer　them。〃　　One　of　the　couriers　in

attendance　complained　that　during　fourteen　hours　he　never　once

alighted；　except　when　the　coach　overturned；　or　stuck　in　the　mud。



When　the　judges；　usually　old　men　and　bad　riders；　took　to　going　the

circuit　in　their　coaches；　juries　were　often　kept　waiting　until

their　lordships　could　be　dug　out　of　a　bog　or　hauled　out　of　a　slough

by　the　aid　of　plough…horses。　　In　the　seventeenth　century；　scarcely

a　Quarter　Session　passed　without　presentments　from　the　grand　jury

against　certain　districts　on　account　of　the　bad　state　of　the　roads；

and　many　were　the　fines　which　the　judges　imposed　upon　them　as　a

set…off　against　their　bruises　and　other　damages　while　on　circuit。



For　a　long　time　the　roads　continued　barely　practicable　for　wheeled

vehicles　of　the　rudest　sort；　though　Fynes　Morison　（writing　in　the

time　of　James　I。）　gives　an　account　of　〃carryers；　who　have　long

covered　waggons；　in　which　they　carry　passengers　from　place　to

place；　but　this　kind　of　journeying；〃　he　says；　〃is　so　tedious；　by

reason　they　must　take　waggon　very　early　and　come　very　late　to　their

innes；　that　none　but　women　and　people　of　inferior　condition　travel

in　this　sort。〃



＇Image＇　The　Old　Stage　Waggon。



The　waggons　of　which　Morison　wrote；　made　only　from　ten　to　fifteen

miles　in　a　long　summer's　day；　that　is；　supposing　them　not　to　have

broken　down　by　pitching　over　the　boulders　laid　along　the　road；　or

stuck　fast　in　a　quagmire；　when　they　had　to　wait　for　the　arrival　of

the　next　team　of　horses　to　help　to　drag　them　out。　　The　waggon；

however；　continued　to　be　adopted　as　a　popular　mode　of　travelling

until　late　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　Hogarth's　picture

illustrating　the　practice　will　be　remembered；　of　the　cassocked

parson　on　his　lean　horse；　attending　his　daughter　newly　alighted

from　the　York　waggon。



A　curious　description　of　the　state　of　the　Great　North　Road；　in　the

time　of　Charles　II。；　is　to　be　found　in　a　tract　published　in　1675　by

Thomas　Mace；　one　of　the　clerks　of　Trinity　College；　Cambridge。　The

writer　there　addressed　himself　to　the　King；　partly　in　prose　and

partly　in　verse；　complaining　greatly　of　the　〃wayes；　which　are　so

grossly　foul　and　bad；〃　and　suggesting　various　remedies。　　He　pointed

out　that　much　ground　〃is　now　spoiled　and　trampled　down　in　all　wide

roads；　where　coaches　and　carts　take　liberty　to　pick　and　chuse　for

their　best　advantages；　besides；　such　sprawling　and　straggling　of

coaches　and　carts　utterly　confound　the　road　in　all　wide　places；　so

that　it　is　not　only　unpleasurable；　but　extreme　perplexin　and

cumbersome　both　to　themselves　and　all　horse　travellers。〃　　It　would

thus　appear　that　the　country　on　either　side　of　the　road　was　as　yet

entirely　unenclosed。



But　Mace's　principal　complaint　was　of　the　〃innumerable

controversies；　quarrellings；　and　disturbances〃　caused　by　the

packhorse…men；　in　their　struggles　as　to　which　convoy　should　pass

along　the　cleaner　parts　of　the　road。　　From　what　he　states；　it　would

seem　that　these　〃disturbances；　daily　committed　by　uncivil；

refractory；　and　rude　Russian…like　rake…shames；　in　contesting　for

the　way；　too　often　proved　mortal；　and　certainly　were　of　very　bad

consequences　to　many。〃　　He　recommended　a　quick　and　prompt　punishment

in　all　such　cases。　　〃No　man；〃　said　he；　〃should　be　pestered　by

giving　the　way　（sometimes）　to　hundreds　of　pack…horses；　panniers；

whifflers　（i。e。　paltry　fellows）；　coaches；　waggons；　wains；　carts；

or　whatsoever　others；　which　continually　are　very　grievous　to　weary

and　loaden　travellers；　but　more　especially　near　the　city　and　upon　a

market　day；　when；　a　man　having　travelled　a　long　and　tedious

journey；　his　horse　well　nigh　spent；　shall　sometimes　be　compelled　to

cross　out　of　his　way　twenty　times　in　one　mile's　riding；　by　the

irregularity　and　peevish　crossness　of　such…like　whifflers　and

market　women；　yea；　although　their　panniers　be　clearly　empty；　they

will　stoutly　contend　for　the　way　with　weary　travellers；　be　they

never　so　many；　or　almost　of　what　quality　soever。〃　　〃Nay；〃　said　he

further；　〃I　have　often　known　many　travellers；　and　myself　very

often；　to　have　been　necessitated　to　stand　stock　still　behind　a

standing　cart　or　waggon；　on　most　beastly　and　unsufferable　deep　wet

wayes；　to　the　great　endangering　of　our　horses；　and　neglect　of

important　business：　nor　durst　we　adventure　to　stirr　（for　most

imminent　danger　of　those　deep　rutts；　and　unreasonable　ridges）　till

it　has　pleased　Mister　Garter　to　jog　on；　which　we　have　taken　very

kindly。〃



Mr。　Mace's　plan　of　road　reform　was　not　extravagant。　　He　mainly

urged　that　only　two　good　tracks　should　be　maintained；　and　the　road

be　not　allowed　to　spread　out　into　as　many　as　half…a…dozen　very　bad

ones；　presenting　high　ridges　and　deep　ruts；　full　of　big　stones；

and　many　quagmires。　　Breaking　out　into　verse；　he　said　



　　　〃First　let　the　wayes　be　regularly　brought

　　　　To　artificial　form；　and　truly　wrought；

　　　　So　that　we　can　suppose　them　firmly　mended；

　　　　And　in　all　parts　the　work　well　ended；

　　　　That　not　a　stone's　amiss；　but　all　compleat；

　　　　All　lying　smooth；　round；　firm；　and　wondrous　neat。〃



After　a　good　deal　more　in　the　same　strain；　he　concluded



　　　〃There's　only　one　thing　yet　worth　thinking　on

　　　　which　is；　to　put　this　work　in　execution。〃*＇5＇



But　we　shall　find　that　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　the

roads　throughout　England　were　placed　in　a　more　satisfactory　state

than　they　were　in　the　time　of　Mr。　Mace。